The present invention relates to a rope supporting apparatus for an elevator for supporting ropes for suspending a car and/or a counterweight within a hoist way.
FIG. 10 is a structural view showing an example of a conventional elevator. In the drawing, a hoist way 1 is formed by a steel structure 2. Also, a machine room 3 is formed in the vicinity of a bottom portion of the hoist way 1. Rope holding beams 6 and 7 are mounted on beams 4 and 5 positioned at the upper portion of the steel structure 2. Rotatable return pulleys 8 and 9 are provided on the rope holding beams 6 and 7.
A hoisting machine 10 having a sheave 11 is disposed in the machine room 3. Also, rotatable deflector sheaves 12 and 13 are provided in the machine room 3. A rope 16 for suspending a car 14 and a counterweight 15 within the hoist way 1 is laid around the sheave 11 and directed by the return pulleys 8 and 9 through the deflection sheaves 12 and 13 and is caused to pass below suspension sheaves 17 and 18 provided on the car 14 and the counterweight 15. Both end portions of the rope 16 are fixed to the rope holding beams 6 and 7 through fastening members 19, respectively.
In such an elevator, the sheave 11 is rotated forward or reversely by a drive force of the hoisting machine 10 so that the car 14 and the counterweight 15 are alternatively moved up and down within the hoist way 1.
In the example shown in FIG. 10, the hoist way 1 is formed by the steel structure 2. However, in the case where the hoist way is formed of concrete, concave/convex portions for supporting both end portions of the rope holding beams are provided on the walls of the hoist way. Then, both end portions of the rope holding beams are fixed to shoulder portions of the concave/convex portions.
However, in the above-described conventional elevator, the beams 4 and 5 or concave/convex portions for supporting the rope holding beams 6 and 7 must be provided and, in the case of the concrete structure in particular, discussions have to be held between the building designers and builders and the elevator company, and additional work for providing the concave/convex portions on the hoist way walls must be carried out. Consequently, the period of time required for construction is lengthened and at the same time, construction costs are increased.
In contrast, Hatsumei Kyokai Technical Disclosure Bulletin No. 90-9351, for example, discloses a rope end fixing device in which a member to which the end portions of a rope are fixed may be mounted on a guide rail for guiding the vertical movement of the car and/or counterweight.
FIG. 11 is a front view showing an example of a conventional rope end fixing device. In the drawing, a guide rail 21 for guiding the vertical movement of the car or the counterweight is fixed in place through a plurality of brackets 22. A rope end fixing member 24 is fixed through, for example, a plurality of support bodies 23 having bolt-and-nut assemblies. End portions of a plurality of ropes 16 are fixed to the rope end fixing member 24 through fastening members 19, respectively.
In the rope end fixing device having the support body 23 and the rope end fixing member 24, since a tension T to be applied to an end portion of each rope 16 is eccentric to a cross sectional center line C of the guide rail 21, a bending moment is applied to the guide rail 21. For this reason, it is necessary to prevent the bending moment from deforming the guide rail 21 by increasing the cross sectional area of the guide rail 21 or decreasing the spacing between the rail brackets 22, increasing the manufacturing and installation costs.
In order to solve the above mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a rope supporting apparatus for an elevator which is able to reduce any bending moment that applied to a guide rail.
A rope supporting apparatus for an elevator according to the present invention comprises: a column-like body extending along a guide rail installed within a hoist way and mounted on the guide rail; a rope supporting member fixed to the column-like body for supporting a rope suspending at least one of a car and a counterweight within the hoist way; and a plurality of support bodies provided between both end portions of the column-like body and the guide rail for transmitting a load from the column-like body to the guide rail.